


A Visit From An Old Friend

by AnnieVH



Series: Don't Come Back [14]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 12:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7892467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieVH/pseuds/AnnieVH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gaston stops by.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Visit From An Old Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: past domestic abuse (including psychological, verbal and sexual), past child abuse, terrible parenting all around. Anti-Milah, anti-Malcolm. Rated mature just for safety.
> 
> Verse: Don’t Come Back, a Behind Closed Doors remix
> 
> Beta: MaddieBonanaFana

Spending the night over at Ruby’s had left Belle feeling recharged and not even the thought of going back to Gold’s house the next day could take that away from her. She’d been in dire need of a weekend off and the prospects for the following week were not half bad. She’d managed to find a way to avoid being stuck in the van with dad and Ruby had promised her a girls’ night on Sunday. Now, all she wanted was to get in bed with one of her books and try not to think of Gold, or debts, or anything unpleasant until the next day.

That plan started going wrong the moment she walked into their living room to find Gaston, sitting majestically on the couch, while Moe brought him another cold beer.

That immediately raised a red flag. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was visiting on Valentine’s Day week. He’d already paid her a visit during Christmas break, ruining what had been a wonderful five-day break from her boss. By all accounts, Belle thought she wouldn’t have to deal with him again before Summer, to find him in their living room plummeted her good mood in a heartbeat.

“Look who stopped by, sweetheart,” Moe said, unnecessarily, smiling from ear to ear.

Gaston got up, misreading the distaste on her face for shock, and came to give her a hug.

“Belle! How come you look more beautiful every time I see you?”

“Gaston, what a...” Belle searched her mind for an adjective, but failed to find one that fit the situation without going against her true feelings. “What a surprise. Bored of Georgetown already?”

He enveloped her in his muscular arms for a tight, lingering hug, the kind you gave someone you loved and missed dearly. Over his shoulder, she saw her father looking pleased.

“Never,” he said, close to her ear. “The tests are killer, though. I outta bring you down sometime, Belle. You’ll love the library.”

Belle had to step back first, since he gave no indication that he was letting her go anytime soon.

“I thought you said I read too much,” she told him.

Gaston shrugged. “You do. But it’s quite endearing.”

“Sit down, honey,” Moe said, pointing at the couch, expecting her to take the seat next to Gaston. “It’s not every day we receive a visit from an old friend.”

 _It’s frequent enough, though_ , she thought, and sat on the armchair opposite her father. If she had to be polite, she’d do it somewhere Gaston couldn’t pass an arm around her shoulders and pull her close.

Moe asked Gaston about university and he jumped at the chance to brag, boring her with details of Law School. Were it any other person, she’d jump at the opportunity of hearing more about life outside of Storybrooke, but Gaston had a talent for making everything about himself. He never really talked about what he was learning, but he made it clear that every subject was extremely difficult. Only the strong could survive outside of Storybrooke without going mad or dropping out. He insisted he was top of his class, but Belle knew that to be a lie. She’d once been the one to write most of his essays in high school and knew exaclty what Gaston’s one-track brain was capable of. Acing Constitutional Law was not one of those things.

Around the time the subject switched to American football, something Belle understood nothing of and Moe had only learned so he could bond with her daughter’s boyfriend, she stopped paying attention. She knew that, as long as she could nod and smile, Gaston wouldn’t know the difference between someone who was hanging on every word or just trying not to doze off completely. The whole scene felt like being back in high school, the only difference was that she wasn’t dazzled by his looks and charm anymore. Had she really wasted five years on that relationship?

“Sweetheart?”

Belle snapped into attention. Her father was giving her a reprimanding look that could only mean she’d just ignored Gaston’s question.

“I’m sorry, what did you ask?”

“I heard you’re still working for Gold,” he repeated.

“Yes.”

When she didn’t elaborate on the matter, Moe added, “He’s an ogre to my poor little girl.”

“I can handle him,” she said, firmly, before her father gave Gaston the impression that she was in need of a dashing rescue. He was bound to jump head first into that, and she didn’t want to owe him any favors. Having a contract with Gold was bad, but at least the terms were clear; owing Gaston was something else entirely.

“Ha!” Gaston said, looking amused. “You’ve always been stubborn.”

“And now she’s stuck with his son, too,” Moe added.

“Dad, will you just-”

“Gold has a son?' Gaston asked, ignoring her. “That’s news to me.”

“Yes. Apparently, daddy cut him off and now he’s in a pickle.”

“That’s not what happened, dad,” Belle said.

Moe took a sip of his beer. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, sounding bitter. “Truth is, I’m as desperate as he is. One of my boys had to leave town and now Gold’s son is driving my van.”

“What? That’s ridiculous,” Gaston said, and Belle opened her mouth to stop what was bound to come, but she wasn’t fast enough. “I could drive that van for free! Why should you pay Gold’s son?”

Moe leaned forward. “You’d do that for us?”

Gaston said, “Yes, of course,” at the same time Belle said, “No, dad! You promised!”

“But Belle, wouldn’t you rather spend the evening with someone you actually know and like?” Moe said, indicating Gaston with his hand. The younger man offered her his most charming smile.

“Yes, Belle. We have so many memories of driving around in that van.”

Belle had to make an effort not to shudder.

“Be as it may,” she said, “you gave him your word, dad. And you had that money set aside to pay Gus anyway. It won’t blow a hole in your budget. And he really needs this job-”

“C’mon, Belle,” Gaston said, coming closer so he could take her hand in his. How could a simple gesture feel so condescending? “I’m sure he’ll mend whatever issues he has with daddy. Besides, that family doesn’t know what a day of honest work looks like.”

“His son does, actually,” she said, pulling her hand away slowly to fold it over her lap. “And he’s been nothing but helpful and kind to me since he moved in.”

Gaston looked skeptical, then turned to see what Moe had to say about that.

“I don’t know about kind and helpful,” her father said. “But I always honor my agreements. Though I’d feel much better if it had been you in that van.”

“And now that you mentioned it, tomorrow is going to be a long day,” Belle said, shooting to her feet. “I should get some rest.”

“Of course, I’ve overstayed my visit,” Gaston said, getting up as well. “Will you walk an old friend out?”

Moe shook his hand and pulled him into a brief hug, asking him to stop by some other time and promising that they'd would be delighted to have him over for dinner sometime that week. Belle didn’t bother to nod along and walked to the door before Moe could offer another beer.

“We do have a lot of memories of that van,” Gaston said, as he followed her down the stairs and to the front of the building. “Not all of them were about driving, though.”

Belle ignored the flirting in his tone. “Yes, but I don’t think my dad would appreciate knowing about those.”

Gaston chuckled. “I suppose he wouldn’t. Still, it’d have been nice to reminisce.”

He tried to rub her back, but she took a step away from him and said, “I’m tired, Gaston. You need to go.”

She held the door open for him and didn’t look up when he wished her a goodnight and gave her a kiss on the cheek that seemed to be tentatively aiming for her lips.

“I’ve always liked that boy,” Moe said, as soon as she stepped back into the apartment.

“You have to stop doing that,” Belle told him, making her father look up from the TV.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“You know what I mean. As long as he knows you’re his ally, he won’t stop pushing.”

“I’m not his ally, sweetheart. I just think he’s a good boy.”

“Right.”

“And given everything you were going through at the time-”

“Don’t start. Please. I didn’t break up with him because mom was sick. I broke up with him because he’s vain and conceited and we have nothing in common.”

“Now, now, that’s a little harsh.”

“He’s also a dinosaur.”

“He’s _traditional_.”

Belle rolled her eyes. “Why do you always defend him?”

How Gaston had wrapped Moe Stay-Away-From-My-Little-Girl French around his finger she’d never be able to understand.

“He comes from a good family,” Moe said. “He’s not like all the other boys in this town. He’s actually going places. He could give you a future. One that doesn’t involve scrubbing Gold’s toilet. And pandering to his son.”

“I don’t pander to anyone. And as for scrubbing Gold’s toilet, you’re welcome.”

Moe’s head snapped around just in time to watch her walk away. He shouted her name, but Belle didn’t come back.

  
  


 


End file.
